Five minutes with Dr Thulz and Mnqobi Yazo on their evocative new single ‘Impakamo’
Producer and instrumentalist Dr Thulz and Afro-pop artist Mnqobi Yazo have joined forces to deliver their evocative new single Impakamo.
Translated as Pride, Impakamo is a deeply spiritual Afro tech track that explores themes of humility and self-discovery.
Through poignant lyrics and transcendent melodies, the song calls on a higher power for guidance, encouraging listeners to let go of pride and embrace a more meaningful, grounded existence.
TshisaLIVE spoke to the two stars about their collaboration and future ventures:
What inspired the collaboration between the two of you for Impakamo?
This song came from our quest to take people through a journey of humility, after a conversation we had about how we have seen other people, brothers and sisters (especially in the entertainment industry) changed by success. A small prayer to God to help not let prosperity change how we relate with others.
You’ve described the track as a fusion of Afro tech and powerful storytelling. How did you balance your distinct musical styles during the creative process?
Truly speaking, combining the two was easy, things naturally just fell into place and went really smooth. We can almost say that the song came from a higher power.
Impakamo was originally scheduled for release earlier this year. What adjustments or final touches did you make during this time?
The rescheduling of the release date gave us more time to do a thorough quality control solely because once the song has been released, it will stay in the DSPs forever, lasting longer than the artists themselves. We are now confident that the music is ready and will represent us the way we would like to be perceived by the masses both during and beyond our lives.
Dr Thulz, as a producer known for blending diverse genres like jazz and Afro tech, how did you approach the sound design for this spiritually-rich track?
I must say that I consider myself a very spiritual person especially where music is concerned. All my decisions are guided and come from a place I also cannot explain. Quite frankly, I (sometimes) feel like I can’t even take credit for the things I create because they are often given to me (from somewhere) and I just introduce people to these divine sounds.
The song encourages listeners to let go of pride and embrace humility. How do these themes reflect on your own personal journeys as artists?
As much as we are two different human beings, we are both musicians, both cultural Zulu men who are the same age. There’re many similarities in our upbringing and personal journeys. We come from the same era, we grew up on (pretty much) the same music, having been raised by parents with the same principles and child-raising styles. It is evident in how we gel (together) as music composers, singers and music experts (so to speak).
Both of you have achieved great milestones in your careers. How does Impakamo compare to your previous work, and what makes it stand out?
Creating music is both our daily routines, we even create music in our sleep (literally). This song is definitely a game changer for both of us, both of traversing uncharted territory with the hope that everyone will receive it well and enjoy it while getting transformed by it.
One of the main reasons we fuse different styles of music (based on our backgrounds and experiences) is that it forms one whole new genre and that sets us apart and secures a space for us in the cosmic world and the industry at large.
Can you give your fans a glimpse into what they can expect from you in the future? Are there more collaborations or projects in the pipeline?
There’s definitely a lot more collaborations like these in the near future. There’s so much more music in store for you, not just with Afro tech but also soul, All Afro sounds, world music and some new genres yet to be named.
